S-DNA and RecA/RAD51-Mediated Strand Exchange in Vitro

Biochemistry. 2019 Apr 16;58(15):2009-2016. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b01125. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Abstract

S-DNA (stretched DNA) is an elongated base-paired DNA conformation under high tension. Because the RecA/Rad51 family DNA recombinases form helical filaments on DNA and mediate the formation of the DNA triplex (D-loop), in which the DNA is stretched, and because the extension of these nucleoprotein filaments is similar to the extension of S-DNA, S-DNA has long been hypothesized as a possible state of DNA that participants in RecA/Rad51-mediated DNA strand exchange in homologous recombination. Such a hypothesis, however, is still lacking direct experimental studies. In this work, we have studied the polymerization and strand exchange on S-DNA mediated by Escherichia coli RecA, human Rad51, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rad51 by single-molecule magnetic tweezers. We report that RecA/Rad51 polymerizes faster on S-DNA than on B-DNA with the same buffer conditions. Furthermore, the RecA/Rad51-mediated DNA triplex forms faster from S-DNA than from B-DNA together with the homologous single-stranded DNA. These results provide evidence that S-DNA can interact with RecA and Rad51 and shed light on the possible functions of S-DNA.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Pairing*
  • DNA / chemistry*
  • DNA / genetics
  • DNA / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / chemistry*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / chemistry*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Polymerization
  • Protein Binding
  • Rad51 Recombinase / chemistry*
  • Rad51 Recombinase / genetics
  • Rad51 Recombinase / metabolism
  • Rec A Recombinases / chemistry*
  • Rec A Recombinases / genetics
  • Rec A Recombinases / metabolism
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / chemistry*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / metabolism
  • Stress, Mechanical

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • recA protein, E coli
  • triplex DNA
  • DNA
  • RAD51 protein, S cerevisiae
  • RAD51 protein, human
  • Rad51 Recombinase
  • Rec A Recombinases